Poinsettia plant named ‘PER10603’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER10603’, characterized by its uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; mid-season flowering response; inflorescences with pink and creamy white-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER10603’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER10603’.

The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding programis to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts withdesirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-productionlongevity.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of theEuphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckalbert, disclosed in U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 10/291,043 (Abandoned). The cultivarPER10603 was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within apopulation of plants of ‘Eckalbert’ in a controlled environment in SanMiguel Dueñas, Guatemala in June, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif. since January,2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar PER10603 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘PER10603’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PER10603’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Mid-season flowering response; under natural season        conditions, plants flower in about 8.5 weeks in Encinitas,        Calif.    -   5. Inflorescences with pink and creamy white bi-colored flower        bracts.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants ofthe new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent, the cultivarEckalbert, primarily in flower bract color as plants of the cultivarEckalbert had pink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettiacultivar 490 Marble, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,833. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of thenew Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar 490 Marble in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of        the cultivar 490 Marble.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about one week later        than plants of the cultivar 490 Marble grown under natural        season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Poinsettia. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph at the bottom of sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘PER10603’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘PER10603’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and underconditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures averaged 24° C., night averaged 19° C. and light levelswere about 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants weregrown in 16.5-cm pots and pinched one time. Plants were about 19 weeksold when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar PER10603.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Euphorbia    pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckalbert, disclosed in U.S. Plant    patent application Ser. No. 10/291,043.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at 20° C. to 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at            20° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading            and mounded plant habit; inverted triangle. Inflorescences            positioned above the foliar plane. Moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 42 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching            habit, about eight lateral branches develop after pinching.            Length: About 21 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:            About 1.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 11.8 cm. Width: About 9.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic or            five-pointed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire            or lobed. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface:            Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Minute pubescence.            Surface: Rugose. Aspect: Mostly flat. Color: Developing            foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A;            venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:            Darker than 147B; venation, 147C. Petiole: Length: About            5.8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            144A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the            cyathia. One inflorescence per lateral branch. Flowers are            not fragrant. Flowers persistent. Inflorescences positioned            above the foliage.        -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter; inflorescence            initiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod            conditions. Mid-season flowering; response time, about 8.5            weeks; natural season flowering maturity date is late            November on plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good            substance and bract color for about four weeks under            interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 33 cm. Height (depth):            About 7 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length,            largest bracts: About 15.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About            9.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic; occasionally five-pointed. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; occasionally            lobed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Surface: Slightly rugose to smooth. Aspect: Horizontal to            slightly downward. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing or transitional bracts, upper and lower surfaces:            Centers, 48C; towards the margins, 10D. Fully developed            bracts, upper surface: Centers, 48C to 48D; towards the            margins, 9D. Centers becoming closer to 36A with            development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: Centers,            48D; towards the margins, 10D. Venation, upper and lower            surfaces: Similar to flower bract color. Bract petiole:            Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 10C.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About ten. Diameter of cyathia            cluster. About 2 cm to 2.2 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width:            About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature: 144C. Color,            mature: 144D. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: About one or            two. Size: About 2 mm by 4 mm. Color: 15A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About            ten. Anther shape: Oval; bi-lobed. Anther length: Less than            1 mm. Anther color: 160A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen            color: 12A. Pistils: None observed. Seed/fruit: Seed and            fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 15° C. to about    30° C.

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘PER10603’ as illustratedand described.